"Bad Girls"
"The brave writers whose work is represented in this volume have acted in good faith, faced their demons, stayed the course, and revised relentlessly. And in taking on the subject of themselves-making themselves vulnerable to the unseen reader-they have exchanged powerlessness for the power that comes with self-awareness."--Wally Lamb
These powerful stories, testaments, hit us on all levels: we can't escape the power of their story, Let's reflect on anything and everything that comes to us as a result of reading them, INCLUDING the art of writing them.
"Diane never whined about her lot in life -- she knew she'd made plenty of mistakes and her honesty about herself was rare and refreshing. Diane B. was an inspiration to me -- in the face of her own cancer and her own dark moods, she lighted the room with her humor (esp. her ability to laugh at herself); she humbled me. She taught me more about the power of forgiveness that most spiritual teachers." ... Dale Griffith
1. Wally Lamb begins his introduction explaining what goes on in editing, quoting different authors on the art of writing, and lists several techniques the authors in this book may have used. Are you familiar with any of these Writing Techniques? Let's keep an eye out for particularly good examples of the writer's craft.
2. "The quality of mercy is not strained...." Forgiveness is a very difficult aspect of life Dale says, "For me forgiving others is part of healing myself—until I can forgive (but not forget) I'm caught in a web of hatred."
and "Hatred eats us up, buries us alive if we let it."Do you agree with this? HOW on earth can any person forgive some of the things done to them as told in this story and among our participants here? Do you think forgiveness heals the victim more than the person who did the wrong? Do you agree that NOT forgiving, itself causes more problems? 3. "Maybe I’m strong, too. Maybe that's why I can't cry." (page 308). This is in reference to Grammy's death.
Do you think, in reference to a death situation, that not being able to cry is a result of strength?
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